Solid rubber tire.



No. 832,039. PATENTED 001 2, 1906.

E. D. CARR. SOLID RUBBER TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.6, 1905. RENEWED MAB. 1 0, 1906.

FE 5i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR D. CARR, OF AKRON, OHIO.

SOLID RUBBER TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application, filed March 6, 1905. Renewed March 10, 1906. Serial No.306.813.

declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a solid rubber tire having a pneumatic grip andadapted especially for automobiles and other heavy vehicles. The tirethus constructed is shown as I5 employed with a wheel which has what isknown as a clencher-rim," in or upon which the tire is immovably lockedby a pneumatic tube, the base edges of the tire coming beneath theinturned edges of the rim, but at 2 the same time leaving the tire to beeasily removed from the rim when occasion arises for such change.

Indetail the tire is constructed with an annular channel in its innercircumference where it fits upon the rim and which forms thebase of thetire, and in said channel I place a pneumatic tube of a size andcharacter adapted to force the sides of, the tire or base into perfectlocking engagement with 3 'the overhanging edges of the rim, allsubstantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of tire and associated parts in working position and with saidparts in cross-section' Fig. 2 is a combined cross-section andperspective view of a portion of the tire alone. Fig. 3 showsperspective views cross-sectioned at the front of the pneumatic tube andthe rim which comes over the same. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of amodification of tire for large vehicles and having two penumatic tubeslocking the same on the rim. Fig. 5 is a combination of tube and rim.

In the construction of tires for automobiles and like heavy vehicles, inwhich the tire is liable to be subjected to excessive weight andsevereside strain, it is first of all essential 0 that the tire should besecurely fastened to or upon the rim; otherwise there is constant dangerto the vehicle and'to the occupants, especially at high speeds and inshort turns. It is also essential, or at any rate very desirable,that.when it becomes necessary to remove the tire the change should be madeeasily and quickly and I Without damage to the tire or the means bywhich it is secured. This is particularly the case when a party is enroute and substitution of a tire for some reason becomes imperative. Nowmy invention takes account of all these conditions and contingencies andcomprises a solid rubber tire A, having anopen channel a in its base orinner circumference, a

clencher-rim B of a well-known type with inwardly-turned side edges, apneumatic rubber. tube C, confined Wholly Within the said channel a, andan inelastic confining band or ring D about said tube C within saidchannel.

The tire A has side grooves or channels a in which the edges 0 of therim B engage, and beneath these at each side and constituting its baseare distinct enlargements a, adapted to come beneath and within thesides of the said rim and hold the'tire in place thereon. ,Theseenlargements of tire come at the sides of channel a, and the inflatablepneumatic tube C is adapted to be expanded,

so as to crowd and compress or ack the said sidesv a laterally beneaththe si es of the rim as firmly as may be necessary to positively lockthem therein. To this end said tube is provided with a nipple 0, wherebyit can. be inflated to any desired degree of firmness, and as the outerconfining rim or ring D for said tube is inelastiethere can be noexpansion of said tube into the tread of the tire, and all expansionmust be laterally where it is needed. The said band or ring D ispreferably of a rigid material, such as iron or steel, and it lies inthe bottom of channel a, which it is designed to fit and occupy.Pneumatic tube C comes next inside this band and when inflated flattensout against it and more or less spreads the sides of the base a into thesides of the clencher-rim, thus producing a pneumatic grip which can bemade as solid as the most extreme cases may require.

When the tube 0 is deflated, the tire can easily be disengaged fromwithin the sides of the clencher-rim and rolled off at one side, becausethere is nothing to prevent collapsing the said sides a of the base inchannel a. This construction also greatly facilitates placing a new tireon the wheel. In Fig. 4 I show a modification of the invention which isdesigned to be used only with unusually heavy vehicles, wherein a widetire and rim are necessary. Hencein this in- ICC IIO

.in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the pneumatic tube and the rim Dare united, so as to handle them together, and to this end rim D isincased in sheaths of canvas or cloth and cemented to said tube. Thismakes the havin the annular inner channel or channels in the ase of thetire and the pneumatic tube therein to secure the tire it is possible toeasily release the tire simply by deflating'the tube. This afl'ords roomfor crowding the sides of the base inward, so as to roll the tire off atone side, and this is particularly essen' tial because the tire isotherwise of solid rubber, and there cannot, therefore, be any yieldingor springing of the tire outward away from the rim, as would be possibleif the tire were of the well-knowntubular pneumatic kind. In otherwords, a solid tire demands a construction like this witha clencher-rim,as otherwise it cannot be disengaged. In the second place, thisconstruction of tire has the very im ortant advantage of bringing amechamca pressure to bear u on the tire-securing mechanism at the treaat the time when the greatest strain comes thereon, as when a rovide therim G with a central or short turn is made in a road and the tendency isto strip the tire'from the wheel. Then the solid rubber tread with theweight of the load upon it acts mechanically directly at the s ot wherepressure is needed to help the c enching and spreading mechanism to holdthe tire on, and said mechanism is directly and greatly reinforced bythe solid tire pressing on the pneumatic tube and causing increasedstrength of side engagement with the rim, and thus effectually holdingthe tire on the wheel.

Whatl claim is 1. A solid rubber tire having an endless open channel inits base and grooves along each side over and above the sides of saidbase, in comblnation with a clencher-rim havin inturned edges engaged insaid grooves, an

adapted to spread the base of the tire laterally in the rim and therebyhold the tire in working. position.

2. A solid rubber tire adapted to be locked in place by pneumaticpressure, said tire having a channel about its inner circumference, aninelastic band in the bottom of said channel, a pneumatic tube withinsaid channel bearing against said band and the sides of said channel,and a rim carrying said tire having inturned edges engaging in the sidesof the tire. I

3. In vehicle-tires, a tire having a yield ng body and a base providedwith a continuous channel centrally thereof, said channel open at itsbottom, and said tire solid over said channel, an ex ansible pneumatictube in said channel a apted to spread the divided sides of the saidbase laterally, and a rim car; rying the said tire and tube having itsedges engaged over the outer edges of said base, whereby a mechanicalforce is applied through the tread of the tire to hel hold'it on therim.

In testimony whereof sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDGAR CARR.

'Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, A. SELL.

